2020
Sarah M. A. Abbas
- Age: 30
- | She/her/hers
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We are walking a road that has been paved by others, and the next generation will walk on the road that we pave today. Therefore, I choose to participate in the fight for sexual and reproductive health and rights, even if I can't witness radical change in my lifetime. Together, we can rise.
- Sarah M. A. Abbas
Bio
Sara M. A. Abbas was born and raised in Sudan. She received a Master of Science in Public Health and Health Promotion from Swanesa University in 2019. As a Reproductive Health Program Associate at United Nations Population Fund, Sara is responsible for ensuring and supporting the implementation of the reproductive health program activities by the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) and other implementing partners. Additionally, Sara is a mentor at YALI Almuni Chapter of Sudan mentorship Program, Team Leader at ALJERAIF Juvenile Correctional Facility for Minor Delinquents, Education Without Borders Meber, and member of External Affairs Office at the Association of Dental.
What ignited your pursuit for gender equality?
My personal experience of witnessing oppression of women around me.
Please share your biggest wins as an advocate for gender equality.
While working at Ana Lan Initiative, a youth initiative to raise awareness about female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), I designed and coordinated a project. The project aimed to raise awareness among non-visible labor from internally displaced communities through a peer education approach. We selected 15 females from different areas, and then we empowered them with knowledge and leadership skills. After the training, each one of them started advocating for stopping FGM/C in her community, through coffee social gatherings and social events. We managed to mobilize the community by using the community members as change agents, which empowered women and made a difference in the knowledge of their peers regarding the practice.
Outside of your gender equality advocacy work, what do you enjoy doing?
In my spare time, I love listening to music and reading books.
Languages Spoken:
- Arabic (Advanced/Native)
- English (Advance/Native)
Speaks On:
- FGM/C
- midwifery and maternal health
- HIV/AIDS interventions for sex workers and men who have sex with men
Past Awards, Certifications, or Fellowships:
- Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) Fellowship
- Sudanese Young Leaders Program by Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) Organization
- Chevening Scholarship
